Ascension Reborn
by Leebot
Summary: Otome Shiznat. At the end of Natsuki's first year at Garderobe, she must face Shizuru in battle with more at stake than just her pride.
1. The Dance

**Author's Note:** This fic is a continuation of the fic I worked on collaboratively with centauri2002, though I'm putting enough detail in here that it's fine if you wish to start off reading at this point. Centauri2002 just doesn't have the time to write anymore with what's going on in her life, but I didn't want this story to die. I kind of rushed to get this chapter out, so apologies if it isn't up to my usual standards. I just didn't want people to have to wait a day longer for it. I'll try to make chapter 2 better though, no worries.

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**Title:** Ascension Reborn

**Rating: **T

**Chapter 1:** The Dance

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"Mai!" Natsuki yelled as she barges into her and Mai's room, slamming the door against the wall as she threw it open. "We have to start practicing for our battle with our Oneesamas!"

Mai turned around slowly from her desk, stunned by Natsuki's panicked entrance. "…Natsuki?"

"Now! What are you waiting for?" Natsuki said frantically. She couldn't stand the thought of losing her bet with Shizuru. That damn girl had manipulated her into putting her very body on the line over the outcome of their battle.

Their talk had started out innocent enough, with Shizuru explaining to Natsuki the importance of doing well in the graduation battles, where Natsuki and Mai were to face off against Shizuru and Haruka. To encourage her to do her best, Shizuru had first offered Natsuki a prize of her choice if she could hold out against her in battle for more than five minutes.

When Natsuki assented to this – under the duress of a very alluring woman not inches from her body giving her a sweet, she had to note – Shizuru revealed the flip side to the bargain. If Natsuki were to fail, Shizuru had her choice of prizes from Natsuki. With the way she'd been acting, it was very clear what she wanted: Natsuki.

Natsuki had been afraid to take their relationship to the next level for quite some time now, and she'd been holding the two of them back. She'd wanted their first time to be just perfect, but she'd never felt confident enough about the situation to go through with it. And then, the longer she put it off, the more perfect the situation had to be. She'd set an impossible standard that just scared her off of the prospect even more. Apparently Shizuru had finally decided to take things – and Natsuki – into her own hands. Natsuki's only chance out was to win their bet, and then she'd have a chance to go the next step on her own terms, rather than having to be dragged into it by Shizuru.

"Okay," Mai said with a forced calm. She put down her pen and swiveled her chair to face Natsuki. "But aren't I supposed to be the one pressuring you to practice while you complain about how it's pointless when we're doomed to fail? Since when did you become the gung-ho one?"

"Since Shizuru… Shizuru…" Natsuki trailed off, realizing just how embarrassing the truth might be. Switching gears, she settled on a moderate lie. "Since Shizuru convinced me of how important it was to put on a good show in this battle."

Mai stared back at her in disbelief. She'd roomed with Natsuki the whole year, and was the only person other than Shizuru who could see right through her. "Right," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. After a moment of roasting Natsuki in her glare, she suddenly lightened up and gave a shrug. "Well, no matter about that. We can finally get to training now!"

"Yes!" Natsuki said, relieved that Mai didn't pressure her about her rationale. "So what are you waiting for then? Let's go!" Natsuki ran over to her dresser and scrambled to find some good work-out clothes.

"Er, Natsuki," Mai said from behind her, still in her chair. "Don't you think it would be a good idea to figure out first what exactly we should be preparing for?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Natsuki said, turning her head back to look at Mai. "We're preparing to fight Shizuru and Haruka-oneesama, aren't we?"

"Well yeah," Mai said. "But I mean we need to figure out a strategy. The odds are heavily stacked against us from the start. No amount of training is going to make up for the fact that they've got a year of experience over us and better robes and elements. If we want to win, we've got to be smart about this."

"Oh. Right," Natsuki said, coming to a stop in her shuffling through her dresser. She reflected back on Mai's earlier comment about how they'd seemed to switch roles suddenly. It actually would have made a lot more sense if she were the calm one recommending they strategize than the other way around. She decided that it was time to take back control of the situation. She turned back to Mai and said, "Alright then, let's start with the advantages their robes have over ours. They're likely going to make use of them, so we need to know how to counter them."

"Right," Mai said. A grin on her face said that she knew full well what had just gone on in Natsuki's mind, but she wisely chose not to comment. "Well, the first big one is their flight ability. It'll give them a big maneuverability advantage. Their robes are also tougher in general, but that shouldn't be an issue here with the computerized damage calculations."

Natsuki nodded and thought for a moment about what they could do. "You know, if we stick down between the pillars, their flight won't be such an advantage. It may even give them some extra trouble if they try to use it."

"Yeah," Mai said. "At least until they decide to simply destroy the pillars. It won't take Haruka-oneesama long to come to that decision, to be honest. She really loves bashing things with her mace."

"Her mace?"

"Oh, that's what Haruka-oneesama likes to turn her element into when we're sparring. Haven't you ever seen her in action?"

Natsuki shook her head. "No, I've always just been sparring with Shizuru. There was that battle between her and Shizuru near the beginning of the year..." Natsuki smiled fondly at the memory of how Shizuru fought for her, setting a Garderobe record in the process of trouncing Haruka. "But Shizuru managed to take her out before she even materialized her element."

Mai grimaced slightly. "Yeah, Shizuru-oneesama is quite a danger. Though I think Haruka-oneesama's big mistake there was rushing head-on and not bothering to even try avoiding that chain-thing Shizuru-oneesama does with her element. We'll really have to watch for that."

Natsuki let out a groan as bad memories about that chain rose up in her mind. "Tell me about it. I can't count how many times she's gotten me wrapped up in that thing while sparring. It's like she gets a kick out of restraining me like that." Natsuki noticed that Mai seemed to be holding back laughter at this, and she realized that yes, Shizuru most likely did indeed get a kick out of it. A blush rose to her cheeks and she growled at Mai. "Not a word!"

Still trying to hold back her laughter, Mai gave a motion of surrender to Natsuki. After she calmed down a bit, Natsuki tried to steer the conversation back to strategizing. "Okay, so what are we going to do to stand a chance against them?"

Stifling the last of her chuckles, Mai said, "Well, I take it you and Shizuru-oneesama were talking about the battle in her room. Did she give you any ideas of what they might be planning?"

"Not really," Natsuki grumbled. "She basically just challenged me to stay in the battle for at least five minutes, along with some very Shizuru-esque threats if I couldn't."

"Oh really?" A devious smile appeared on Mai's face. "Did she threaten to tie you up again if you couldn't do it?" she said suggestively.

"Baka!" Natsuki snapped, a blush rapidly rising to her face. That hadn't occurred to her, but it did seem like a frighteningly possible eventuality. "I told you not a word about that!"

"Yes, yes," Mai said, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, five minutes? Haruka-oneesama couldn't last five seconds against Shizuru-oneesama before the battle was essentially over. I don't think I even remember any fights in our enrollment battles that lasted that long. We're really going to need to do something fancy to stand a chance."

Natsuki grunted. "You're telling me. Maybe we should just try to run from her the whole time. We know charging straight in like Haruka-oneesama did is suicide."

Mai's eyes widened at this suggestion in shock. "What kind of battle would that be? The fight is supposed to be an elegant dance, not a chase!"

"Hmph. You're sounding just like Shizuru now," Natsuki said. "She was saying all the same things."

"Maybe you should take a hint then," Mai said. "Why don't you suck up your pride for once and just act like an Otome? You may be the second Coral, but you're not going to impress anyone if instead of dancing you just run away."

Natsuki grimaced in frustration, but inwardly she had to admit that Mai's words were getting to her, as they started to echo more of Shizuru's. It occurred to her that if perhaps she at least put up a good effort, Shizuru might be merciful and at least avoid tying her up. Running likely wouldn't work for long enough in any case. With a sigh, she gave in, "Fine, fine, I get it."

"Good," Mai said. "So let's think of how best to fight back. What do you think Shizuru-oneesama would do if she expects you to fight defensively? I think we can probably count on Haruka-oneesama to charge straight in regardless of what she expects anyone else to do, but Shizuru-oneesama is a bit harder to read."

"Yeah," Natsuki said. She thought for a bit on what Shizuru might do, going over her tactics in their sparring sessions. "Well, she's not so good at long range; she can't extend her element quite that far, and charging really isn't her style. She's really at her best when she can stand in one place and just focus on wielding her element. That's pretty much how she took Haruka-oneesama out in their battle, if you remember; she just nailed her with the chain as Haruka-oneesama got into her range and clobbered her from there."

Mai nodded at this. "That's not going to work so well if she expects us to run away from her, though." Mai paused for a moment in thought. "I don't know. What would you plan to do in her place?"

"Well, it could work if she could anticipate where we'll be moving and get in front of us. Maybe she could rely on Haruka-oneesama to scare us in her charges and then cut us off."

Mai nodded and clapped her hands together in victory. "That's it then! So, at the beginning, for instance, we could expect Haruka-oneesama to come straight at us while Shizuru-oneesama circles around to cut off our escape. If we don't run away from Haruka-oneesama, it'll completely screw up their plan."

Natsuki raised an eyebrow skeptically at this. "And let her bludgeon us to death? Even if we try to fight back, I don't see how we have any chance of overpowering her."

"Aha, but this is where what I've learned from sparring with her comes in! For I know about Haruka-oneesama's big weakness."

"You mean her overconfidence?" Natsuki said.

"Aside from that."

"Her tendency to get words mixed up?"

"No, aside from that too."

"Her soft spot for that Windbloom University student, Yukino Something-or-other?"

"Okay, that's enough already!" Mai said, fuming. "I'm talking about her balance. For all her zeal, Haruka-oneesama is surprisingly easy to trip up. What I'm thinking is that if we charge right back at her, we could try to use our elements to trip her up, maybe redirect her straight into the ground or something."

Natsuki considered this for a bit. "I guess that might work. But, is it just me, or do you seem oddly enthusiastic about humiliating your oneesama?"

"A-heh… well, that is…" Mai fumbled around a bit, playing with her fingers idly. "Well, let me put it this way: If you had a chance to make Shizuru-oneesama blush as much as you usually do, would you turn it down?"

A picture of a blushing Shizuru ran through Natsuki's mind, and she was quickly drawn into dreams of it. "Yeah… I guess I see your point there…" she said dreamily.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Well if you can get your mind off of your girlfriend for a minute, I think we're good to start practicing"

A slight blush rose to Natsuki's cheeks as she was caught by Mai in her dreamy state. She shook it off and said, "Right!"

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**Author's Note:** And there ya go. I have more already written up, but I'll need some time to rework it properly. I should also warn you that I've had to turn off anonymous reviews thanks to a persistent flamer who pointedly refuses to read beyond the author's note and first couple lines before deciding that my work is crap. S/he's still welcome to review, but she'll have to sign in to do it so I can reply properly. I apologize to all the legitimate people who like to review anonymously for the inconvenience.

**Edit to add:** Poll is up on my profile over who you want to win the bet. It may or may not influence the outcome. ;)


	2. The Showdown

**Author's Note:** Sorry if the last chapter felt a little rush, but I'm going to put more effort into this one. Hope you enjoy it.

On another note. I'm officially dedicating this fic to Centauri2002 in thanks for all the beautiful work she's left us with on this site. Thank you, Cazzy.

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**Title:** Ascension Reborn

**Rating:** T

**Chapter 2:** The Showdown

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"I'm looking forward to seeing a spectacular Mai-Battle from all of you," Raisa Markova, the Gakuencho and Second Column said as she addressed the assembled students. "The four of you are some of the most amazing students I've seen pass through Garderobe. Meisters Viola and Armitage," she said, turning to specifically address the two Pearls, "You both have very prestigious positions lined up for you after graduation. Meister Viola is to replace Adriana as the Third Column, and Meister Armitage is to become the Otome to the President of Aries. I couldn't be more pleased with your achievements."

Markova turned to look at Natsuki and Mai, smiling at both of them. "I have high hopes for you two as well. I can't say very much at this point, but I do know that two high-ranking Otome are already eying you as potential replacements. You would be well-advised to do your best to impress them today." Markova took a step back and once more graced the group with her trademark "Gakuencho" smile. "I've also been informed that Princess Mashiro herself will be in attendance for this event. This will be her first Mai-Battle, so please do your best to make it one she'll never forget."

"Yes ma'am!" the four students said in near-unison. Natsuki, Shizuru, and Haruka gave a slight nod as they said this, but Mai snapped of an over-elaborate salute, much to her roommate's chagrin. Natsuki was careful not to on about that, though. She was used to it at this point. Mai simply wouldn't be Mai if she didn't put 110 into everything.

The Gakuencho gave a final nod of her head to the students before parting to her private box. As she left, the two Pearls turned to their respective heya-gakkaris for some final words before the fight. Haruka placed her hand on Mai's shoulder and said, "Remember what I told you for this fight, Mai-san. An Otome is made up of power, skill…" Haruka struck a pose with her free arm, tensing it to show off her muscle, "and GUNS!"

Mai bit her lip for a moment before she corrected her oneesama, "'Guts,' Haruka-oneesama…"

Of course, Haruka hadn't the slightest clue she'd mangled her words. She patted Mai's shoulder proudly. "Exactly! It's the most important one, so it deserves to be said twice! You'll make a fine Otome some day, Mai-san."

Mai rolled her eyes at this, but her oneesama missed it. She'd caught Shizuru watching the two of them with a barely-contained smirk on her face and was glaring back at her. "Thank you, Oneesama," Mai said, stealing back Haruka's attention and gaining a proud smile from her.

Now that they wouldn't have to try in vain to talk over their friends, Natsuki and Shizuru turned back to each other for their own last chat before the battle. Shizuru allowed her face to open into one of her rare smiles, saved especially for Natsuki. "I hope you'll show me your best dance today, Natsuki," she said. She punctuated this by leaning towards Natsuki and bringing her mouth next to the girl's ear, whispering, "Or else."

As if to make absolutely sure Natsuki knew what she was in for if she lost the bet, Shizuru started to blow gently into her girlfriend's ear. Shizuru was so close to Natsuki that her presence was starting to overwhelm the poor Coral's brain, so even this slight breeze was enough to make her break out into shudders as it caused an uncomfortable need to spread throughout her body.

Natsuki's mind wasn't quite gone enough to forget about the presence of her roommate and Haruka, so she tries to get out a protest over Shizuru's actions. She manages only a "Shi-" before her lips are trapped by her girlfriend and quickly put to work at a much more enjoyable task than simply talking. Natsuki still tried to squeak out a protest through the kiss for a few more seconds, but she just didn't have it in her. Shizuru was just too alluring. It wasn't fair.

To Natsuki disappointment – and embarrassment over the fact that she was disappointed – their kiss was cut short by Haruka clearing her throat loudly to get their attention. Natsuki quickly pulled back from the kiss and tried to hide her blush from Haruka and Mai.

Haruka lifted up an eyebrow and said, "If you're done playing with your girlfriend, Shizuru, it's about time for us to be making our grand entrance."

Shizuru gave an impish pout to Haruka as she turned away from Natsuki. After letting out a huff she said, "Ara, I guess you're right, Haruka-san. Good luck, Natsuki, Mai-san." Shizuru gave her "Oneesama" smile to both of the girls, but as soon as Mai nodded and looked away she added in a teasing wink for Natsuki.

Natsuki gritted her teeth and managed not to blush at this display from her girlfriend. As soon as Shizuru turned away, she let out a frustrated, "Shizuru..."

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"You ready, Natsuki?" Mai asked her friend as the pillar beneath the two raised them into the arena.

"Yeah," Natsuki said. She couldn't help a small tremble of nervousness from entering her voice. There was just so much at stake here. She really had to stop thinking about that or the fear could overwhelm her. "Just as we practiced, right?"

"Of course." Mai eyed Natsuki, having caught the tone in her roommate's voice. Natsuki silently cursed herself for allowing Mai to get to know her this well that she was able to pick out that tone so easily. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden? I've never known you to be afraid of a fight before."

"I'm not nervous!" Natsuki protested, perhaps a bit too strongly to be believable. She tried to put on a calm face for Mai, even though she knew it was probably futile. "Besides… uh… it's about to start!" Natsuki glanced over at the Gakuencho's box as she said this, praying to Shinso that Markova would start speaking soon so that Mai wouldn't have a chance to press the issue.

Of course, she had no such luck. These things always did seem to take forever before they began, for some reason that was beyond her. Mai was silent for just long enough to prove that Natsuki was wrong before she continued, "Don't tell me you're afraid of what Shizuru-oneesama might do to you if you lose! I would have thought you'd want to do those types of things with your girlfriend…"

"Baka!" Natsuki snapped, a blush quickly filling her face. She frantically looked around the arena to see if anyone seemed to have heard Mai. The Gakuencho seemed to be absorbed in some paperwork in her box at the moment, so nothing there fortunately. When she caught Shizuru's eye on a pillar across from her and Mai, though, she swore she could see a mischievous smile and a wink from her. It was hard to tell from the distance though, and it wasn't as if Shizuru would need any extra excuse to do that, so that didn't necessarily mean she'd overheard. But if she had...

Fortunately, Natsuki was saved from further embarrassment as the Gakuencho began to announce the event from her box. "Welcome, everyone, to the ceremonial graduation Mai-Battle," she said. "I'm very pleased to present to you four of the best students I've seen during my tenure as Gakuencho of Garderobe.

"Representing the Pearl class, we have Pearl Number Two, Haruka Armitage, who has been selected to be the Otome to the President of Aries…" A loud cheer erupted from the stands, and Haruka basked in the praise with faux modesty. She gave a glance to Shizuru every couple of seconds to see if there was any reaction from her, but Shizuru remained perfectly stoic, bearing her trademark graceful smile.

When the applause died down, the Gakuencho continued, "…And Pearl Number One, Shizuru Viola, who has been selected to replace the Third Column." An even louder wave of applause erupted from the crowds, with plenty of young girls screaming for their "Shizuru-oneesama." Shizuru accepted it all gracefully, while Haruka fumed beside her at having been shown up. Natsuki watched the two in amusement. They certainly made quite a pair, and they had quite an interesting "friendship" – which neither of them would ever admit even existed.

As the audience eventually ran out of breath to cheer, if not the will to do so, the Gakuencho returned to her speech. "And representing the Coral class, we have Coral Number Two, Natsuki Kruger, and Coral Number One, Mai Tokiha, both of whom have high prospects for their futures as Meister Otome." Natsuki and Mai were greeted with a wave of applause of their. It was nothing approaching what Haruka or Shizuru got, but plenty of Corals cheered on their friends while the Pearls were politely clapping along to show their support.

"I would also like to extend a special welcome to Windbloom's lovely Princess Mashiro." Markova gestured to Mashiro's royal box, just to the side of hers, where the young girl was being held up by a goofy-looking man with a prominent afro that Natsuki would later identify as Sakomizu Cardinal. The audience gave the young Princess a polite round of applause, and she waved back with a large grin on her face, ecstatic to be present there. "With no further ado, let's see what I'm sure will be a Mai-Battle to remember. Begin!"

Not waiting a moment, both Haruka and Shizuru leaped into action. Just as Mai had predicted, Haruka charged straight towards Natsuki and Mai as she materializes her element mid-air. Meanwhile, Shizuru started to charge her robe for flight as she leaped from pillar to pillar in a circle around the arena. As soon as Shizuru had started on her course of action, Natsuki and Mai materialized their elements and charged forward to meet Haruka's charge head-on.

There was only a moment in their leap to judge, but it looked to Natsuki like there was a glimmer of respect in Haruka's eyes for coming straight out to face her. Not that the counter-charge of the Corals made Haruka rethink her strategy, of course. As she pulled her hands to the side to materialize her element and prepared to strike, Natsuki and Mai split from their path. They jumped to opposite sides of Haruka just as she swung, causing her to miss and start to overbalance.

As soon as Natsuki got past Haruka, she twisted her body in mid-air so she could extend her element's pole straight at Haruka's back. The pole rammed between her shoulder blades, at just the same time that, per their plan, Mai's element strikes Haruka's legs. The force of Natsuki's strike, along with her own prior momentum, caused Haruka to trip over Mai's extended element, and she started flying directly downwards. The shock of being tripped up like this triggered Haruka's panic response, and so she wasn't able to think clearly enough to disengage her robe's thrusters before she slammed painfully into the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers for the maneuver Natsuki and Mai just pulled, but Natsuki couldn't afford to let it distract her. She used the tails of her robe to latch onto a pillar in front of her and pull herself in for a safe landing. Glancing around the arena, she tried to get a quick assessment of the situation. Haruka was dazed from her crash into the ground, and Mai was standing on a pillar right above her catching her breath. Shizuru was across the arena from the group. She apparently hadn't been paying attention to what Haruka was doing until now, and she'd just started to pause in her flight to compensate for the change in plans.

"Mai," Natsuki said quickly, catching her partner's eye. "Take care of Haruka-oneesama. Shizuru's probably going to come for me."

"Right!" Mai agreed with a quick nod, and she dove off of the pillar, preparing an attack as she fell onto Haruka.

Trusting Mai to get her part done on her own, Natsuki turned back to Shizuru across the arena from her. Time was on her side with the bet, so she was in no hurry to rush in and proceed with the battle. Shizuru knew this too, and so she prepared to make her move, charging up her robe and materializing her element in the form of a katana. Shizuru braced herself to leap into flight towards Natsuki while Natsuki prepared her plan for evasion. She unfurled the tails of her robe behind her and attached them to the pillar she was standing on and one next to her, ready to make a quick escape when Shizuru charged in.

Not wasting a moment more than she had to, Shizuru leaped towards Natsuki, engaging the flight mode of her robe to cross the arena in mere seconds. She swung her katana back to the side, and the instant Natsuki saw it start to split up into its chain form, she leaped into action herself. She took a quick step backwards and tugged on her tails sharply to send her body shooting downwards as Shizuru whipped the chain around to where she'd been standing.

Natsuki twisted in mid-air, once more making use of the maneuver she'd been practicing the hell out of for this battle, and extended her element into the pillar she'd just been standing on. On impact, the top of it exploded into a blast of dust, which Natsuki was counting on to blind or at the very least distract Shizuru. She couldn't spare the time to check though, as she absorbed the rough landing with her legs and quickly jumped off behind another nearby pillar.

Hoping that Shizuru would be stunned for a moment, Natsuki took a chance to catch her breath and assess the situation. Everything had gone according to plan so far, but that was as far as she and Mai had been able to extend their plan. From here on, it depended on how well Mai could handle fighting Haruka alone, and how long it took Shizuru to find Natsuki. She'd have to improvise from here and avoid Shizuru as long as possible. Perhaps she might be able to help out Mai a bit if she had an opening. At least that way it wouldn't look so much like she was trying to avoid a fight.

Natsuki tried to focus on her hearing to get a feel for where Shizuru was, along with possibly where Mai and Haruka were. The first thing this made her aware of was a coughing sound coming from above and a bit behind her. Her mind's eye flashed to an image of Shizuru, her face covered with dust, sullying her normally perfect appearance, her eyes watering, coughing frantically to clear the dust from her lungs. She would have had to really get it in the face and inhale some of it to still be coughing like that.

A wave of pain hit Natsuki at the thought of what she'd done to Shizuru, and she couldn't help but let out an unconscious whimper of sympathy for her girlfriend. She tried to shake off those feelings and steel herself for what she had to do, though. She focused on the possibility of losing this bet and ending up at Shizuru's mercy, tied up and completely vulnerable. No, she just couldn't let that happen. She swore to herself that if she won here she'd make sure she pushed things forward with Shizuru soon, so it could be on her own terms and as romantic as possible.

With that resolution, Natsuki got back to work. Trying to keep pillars between her and where she guessed Shizuru was from the sound of her coughing as much as possible, Natsuki started to make her way around the arena to where she could pick out the sound of Mai and Haruka's fighting. When she got close enough to get the two in sight, she spotted Haruka slamming her mace down towards Mai, who evaded the attack by jumping up on top of it as it got wedged into the ground. Mai back-flipped off of the mace, her feet connecting with Haruka's chin and sending her stumbling backwards in a brief daze.

Seeing a clearing to attack, Natsuki started to charge up her robe and barreled forwards into Haruka. She erected a shield just before impact to protect herself as she struck Haruka's back. The momentum of Natsuki's charge sent the two of them crashing into the base of a nearby pillar. Haruka, not having a chance to erect her own shield, ended up taking the brunt of the crash, while Natsuki remained safe from the falling rubble behind her shield.

As she started to hear the pillar begin to crumble above her, Natsuki quickly backed away. Haruka, being stunned from the impact, wasn't quite so quick to act, and she only managed to stumble weakly backwards as the pillar topples over onto her. Natsuki winced at the pillar's impact, but she trusted that Haruka was hard-headed enough that she wouldn't be too badly off. Seriously, what that girl was able to take to the head without even falling unconscious would make a rhinoceros jealous.

Nevertheless, the damage to her robe was apparently enough by this point, even if Haruka herself might have been able to press on. The Gakuencho's voice blared through the arena, "Pearl Number Two, Haruka Armitage, has been eliminated!" This announcement was met by a wave of screaming cheers from the audience, though mostly the Corals who were ecstatic that their classmates had managed to pull off the first elimination of the battle. They'd have had it in the bad now, if only the remaining Pearl were anyone other than Shizuru Viola.

Natsuki took a chance to catch her breath and check on Mai, now that Haruka was out of the picture. "You alright?" she asked.

Mai nodded. Natsuki could tell that her partner was quite winded herself. "She got me good a couple times, but I can manage. You?"

"I'm good," Natsuki said, not wasting any more breath or time than necessary. Having gotten the needed communication across, she perked her ears to start listening for Shizuru again. They couldn't have much time left before she found them.

Apparently Natsuki's ears had failed her, however. She hadn't heard anything of Shizuru's approach before the girl had dived between her and Mai, lashing her whip-sword out towards Natsuki. Natsuki leaped backwards on instinct, narrowly managing to dodge Shizuru's attack. The chain, having missed Natsuki, slammed into a nearby pillar, cutting through its base and causing it to start to crumble and topple. Going with the first idea that popped into her mind, Natsuki extended her element into another nearby pillar, blasting through its base. The two pillars crumbled to the ground together, falling inwards and blocking Shizuru's path to Natsuki. Natsuki knew that it wouldn't take Shizuru long to get through, but it was her hope that if she spent any time trying, Mai might be able to get in a good attack or two.

Natsuki dashed off to the side, moving around the wreckage. If Shizuru did try to get through, she wouldn't want to be in her path. On the other hand, if she decided to fight Mai, then Mai could definitely use some help. When Natsuki got into view of the two, she saw that Shizuru had turned from the wreckage and was now battling with Mai – which made more sense for her to do, after all.

The first thing Natsuki sees as she comes into view is Mai being a second too slow in dodging and getting caught in Shizuru's chain. Natsuki winced in sympathy for Mai. She knew all too well the pain Shizuru's death-grip could cause, and she knew that at this moment it would be quickly sapping away at Mai's robe's durability. Mai tried to escape by using her robe's thrusters to spin away from Shizuru, but Shizuru fought back by tightening her hold with her chain, and, as always, Shizuru won out.

Natsuki kept up her movement towards the two, hoping to free Mai as quickly as possible. She charged up her robe for an attack en route and leaped forwards as soon as she was within a good ranged, twisting into a spin mid-air. She rotated rapidly in flight, her robe generating a vortex of air as she slammed into Shizuru. The force of the attack knocked the element out of Shizuru's hands, and it soon dematerialized, allowing Mai to drop to the ground.

Shizuru was knocked back into the wreckage behind her. As Natsuki came out of her spin, she witnessed a grimace of pain on Shizuru's face from the impact. Instinctively muttering a quick apology, Natsuki jumped backwards and away from Shizuru before the girl could recover enough to mount a counter-attack. She backed away to a safe distance where she could observe Shizuru and waited for her oneesama to make the first move, trusting Mai to do the same and get herself to safety.

Shizuru took some time to recover – a fact which tore at Natsuki's heart a little as she imagined the pain she'd caused to her girlfriend – so Natsuki tried to use this time to figure out where Mai had gotten to. She soon caught a glimpse of her friend, standing on a pillar off to the side. She was panting heavily, and her robe appeared to have taken heavy damage. The scoring system for these battles was designed so that a combatant was eliminated at approximately the amount of damage that would start to seriously impair the functionality of a Coral's robe, and it certainly looked like Mai was bordering on that point right now.

Although Natsuki could have just remained where she was to draw out time, she made the decision to take a bit of a risk in fighting back. Shizuru was quite likely to try to finish Mai off next, rather than let her remain as a possible distraction while she went for Natsuki. Even though she wouldn't have much chance of being able to protect Mai from the small amount of damage Shizuru needed to cause, Natsuki might just be able to get a good attack in on Shizuru in the meantime. While that wasn't too likely to affect the total time this battle took, she didn't want to look like she was avoiding a fight. As important as winning the bet was to her, she didn't want to ruin her future as an Otome by appearing to be a coward. If nothing else, it would make Shizuru prouder of her and might give her a bit more leverage if she did lose.

Natsuki started charging up a ball of energy in her hands in preparation for an attack. The tactic was a bit risky, as if Shizuru decided to go after her instead, she wouldn't be able to erect a shield to protect herself, and there was even a chance the energy might backlash and hit her. Fortunately, Shizuru seemed to have decided to go and take out Mai, so Natsuki was in the clear.

Judging the best time to intercept, Natsuki leaped off towards Shizuru, holding the still-charging ball of energy in front of her as she jumped from pillar to pillar. She saw Shizuru lash out with her element while in flight, and Mai erected a shield to protect herself. The chain hit the shield and pressed in against it for a second as Shizuru closed in, and then the shield fails and the chain slams into Mai.

Mai was knocked off of the pillar she was standing on just as the Gakuencho's voice boomed through the arena, "Coral Number One, Tokiha Mai, is eliminated!"

Natsuki let out a curse under her breath over having failed to save me, but she kept up her path, preparing to strike Shizuru. She held out her hands and got ready to channel her charged energy straight at the girl. Just as she was about to launch her attack, Shizuru's head swung around towards Natsuki. She brought up a hand, possibly to start erecting a shield, or possibly some other trick to ward off Natsuki. Whatever Shizuru was trying to form intersected precisely with Natsuki's energy ball, triggering a premature, uncontrolled detonation.

The force of the explosion knocked the two Otome to opposite sides of the arena, and Natsuki lost track of Shizuru as she was knocked into the base of a pillar which soon began to crumble over her. She had just enough presence of mind to roll out of the way of the bulk of it, but she was still heavily stunned by the misfire of her attack and her landing. She needed to take a moment to clear her head and refocus.

Natsuki breathed heavily and tried to rest for a bit as she looked around cautiously for any sign of Shizuru. She hoped that her foe was just as stunned from the blast as she was, or she'd be in risk of an immediate ambush. Fortunately, none was to come. She decided that this might be a good time to try to play out the clock. She didn't have any clue on where Shizuru was, so no one would really be expecting her to do anything rash right away in any case. She began moving stealthily around the arena floor, cautious for any sound that might indicate Shizuru's presence and hoping to be able to either avoid the other girl or possibly get the jump on her.

After some time of this activity, Natsuki's ear was caught by the sound of winds from above. Apparently Shizuru had become tired by this game – or had decided it was taking too long – and she'd opted for a different tactic. Guessing that Shizuru had decided to search from the air, Natsuki headed for a nearby wrecked pillar to get some manner of cover. She knew would be in a very bad position if Shizuru were to spot her and dive down, so she waited to make her move for when she guessed Shizuru was a ways away.

She was able to spot Shizuru flying past above her, though much too fast to be searching. After only a couple seconds, Shizuru sped past again, picking up speed. Shizuru circled rapidly around the arena, and soon Natsuki felt a fierce wind blowing past her. Soon enough, some of the rubble behind her got blown up into a vortex that Shizuru was forming above the pillars.

Natsuki's mind flashed back to Shizuru's battle with Haruka near the beginning of the year, when she was fighting for the privilege of having Natsuki as her heya-gakkari. She'd formed a similar vortex in the battle back then, but the one now was an order of magnitude larger. The sudden realization of just how much Shizuru had improved in her Pearl year struck Natsuki with a mixture of awe and fear.

She didn't have time to focus on that now though. As the rubble started getting blasted up, Natsuki tried to hold herself down by extending her robe's tails and latching them onto nearby pillars. However, the fact that she was near a pile of wreckage meant that one of the closest pillars had collapsed to form it, so she could only grasp onto one side. When the wind overwhelmed her and she started flying up, she realized belatedly that being attached only on one side was sending her spiraling around the one pillar. Deciding that slamming into it as her tail wound around it was a very bad idea – Shizuru would only need a slight opening to gain the upper hand – Natsuki released her grasp from the pillar and allowed herself to go flying up into the air, hoping to be able to make some aerial recovery.

Natsuki desperately tried to use her robe's thrusters to stabilize her spin as she was launched through the air. She figured that if she could stabilize, she might be able to aim her tails to catch herself on some pillars as she fell back down. However, Shizuru's winds were just too powerful, and they were making her efforts futile, as she was repeatedly battered and twisted by the chaotic currents and debris near the center of the vortex.

Natsuki saw a form rush close by her, and operating purely on instinct, Natsuki shot out one of her tails to grab onto it. She soon realized that she'd caught Shizuru in her flight, and the unexpected attachment caused the Pearl to start tumbling along with Natsuki. As she could no longer concentrate on generating it, the vortex faded and the two girls started to tumble together downwards. They both tried to gain the upper hand somehow in the fall, but it was over too quickly for either to do anything, and they both hit the ground hard.

Natsuki tried to recover as quickly as she could, but Shizuru was a second faster. Natsuki found herself in the position she'd been dreading the entire match: secured in the grasp of Shizuru's element wrapped around her torso and squeezing her in a death-grip. All of her sparring with Shizuru had taught her that her only decent chance at surviving was to avoid getting into this position. She'd never been able to fight her way out of it in the past. She couldn't help but let out a whimper of frustration at getting caught in this trap so late in the game, but not quite far enough by her own estimates of the time the match had taken so far.

Natsuki imagined her robe's energy bar draining away on the audience's displays as she struggled to break free. Her arms were pinned to her sides, leaving only her thrusters and tails any freedom to work. She tried to use them to pry her way out against Shizuru's chain, but the gripwas just too tight for her to gain any ground.

She only had one chance left: a tactic she'd brainstormed in her recent training but hadn't had a chance to try out yet against Shizuru. It was her only chance though, so she went for it. She quickly reversed the direction of her thrusters and attached her tails to nearby pillars and pushed off to rotate herself in the same direction as the winding of Shizuru's chain. Shizuru wasn't expecting this, and the force she was applying through her chain combined with Natsuki's efforts to send her spinning inwards towards Shizuru. Natsuki slammed into the girl and tore the element out of her hands, causing it to dematerialize.

Natsuki was able to recover from the impact a moment sooner than Shizuru as she'd been expecting it. She started to attack Shizuru from close range, hoping to keep her from rematerializing her element. She knew she wasn't as skilled in unarmed combat as Shizuru, but she at least stood a chance at lasting longer this way.

Natsuki was able to gain a slight advantage at first due to getting the first strike, but she was soon overwhelmed by Shizuru's skill and put on the defensive. She fought back as well as she could, but she was just no match for Shizuru with her extra year of training. Eventually Natsuki found herself captured in a hold by Shizuru and pulled back against her body. Shizuru brought her mouth to Natsuki's ear and said, "Forgive me, Natsuki."

As Natsuki was stunned for a moment wondering what Shizuru might mean, Shizuru shoved her away and immediately raises her shield right by Natsuki. The force of it expanding blasted her away from Shizuru. She broke into a roll as she hit the ground to try to minimize the damage, but it was futile. When she came to a stop, she turned her head towards Shizuru just in time to see Shizuru's chain shooting out directly towards her face. It took all the time she had just to notice it coming at her. There was nothing she could do to evade before it struck. Her world flashed white with an excrutiating pain before everything faded to black.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll be working on the last chapter of Oneesama next, and then I hope to get back here and finish this story off. After that... well, a special treat for both stories. I won't spoil anything yet.

Also, there's still time to vote for who you want to win in the bet between Natsuki and Shizuru. I haven't revealed the time quite yet.


	3. The Prize

**Author's Note:** Well, it's been quite a wait, but this fic is finally coming to a close. Of course, I have to reassure everyone that this doesn't mean the _story_ is ending. There's still more to write. As for exactly what, all I can say is, "You'll see."

I'd also like to make a note on the time period of this fic relative to the main series, due in part to a review by hamsterbox which I can't reply directly to. We aren't given any definitive clues on the ages Natsuki and Shizuru in the series, so we have to make do with guesswork. Putting everything we know together, my best guess is that Natsuki was a Coral about four years before the events of Mai-Otome (possibly up to six, but I doubt much beyond that). Much thanks to Olivia U. L. for her findings in this area – and yes, I'll see if I can fit in the event we talked about (if you still remember what we talked about) later in the series. So, best guess puts Natsuki at 19 and Shizuru at 20 in the series, possibly a year or two older.

And for those who might want more updates on how I'm coming along with writing chapters, I'm now on Twitter with the name Leebot. You can either bookmark my page or set it up with a feed reader if you want to keep track of how my work is coming along. You can find me at twitter . com / leebot (cut the spaces, or just click the link in my profile).

* * *

**Title:** Ascension Reborn

**Rating:** T

**Chapter 3:** The Prize

* * *

_Ugh... Can't move... too heavy. ...zuru... Shizuru hit me... _

"Miss Viola, this really isn't behavior appropriate for the future Third Column."

_...Heavy, but soft... soft like Shizuru..._

"I don't care. Natsuki's hurt. I hurt her."

_Mmm... Shizuru-ness. Zuru's nice... wouldn't hurt me._

"You might as well give it up, Kojima-sama. I've seen these two together and frankly, you're putting your life on the line trying to pull Shizuru-oneesama away."

_Uhh, hard to really feel it... Zuru-ness needs to be held... hugged..._

"Hrm... Very well, as long as you don't impede her recovery. Adriana-san might have something else to say about this behavior, though."

_Ah, there we go, arms are moving now. Mmm, yeah... definite Shizuru-ness here... ah, so nice. Shizuru's so soft... so huggable... Really love this..._

"Natsuki... Forgive me..."

"Erruhh..." _Voice still bad... but Shizuru's hurting. Mmm... Shizuru-neck. That always tastes good..._

"Natsuki? Ah! Heh-ah... Mmm... Natsuki..."

"Ah-hem!"

Natsuki's eyes snapped open at the sound of someone else intruding on her Shizuru time. Shizuru slowly pulled away from Natsuki just as coherence was starting to return to her, and unfortunately a splitting headache came along with it. She glanced around quickly, confirming that she was in the infirmary. The nurse, Rei Kojima, was standing to the side of her bed with an eyebrow raised, and the cause of her bemusement was currently lying on top of Natsuki: A heavily blushing Shizuru Viola. The sight of this was fortunately enough to push thoughts of the headache temporarily out of Natsuki's mind.

Thoughts of just how beautiful Shizuru was when she blushed started to invade Natsuki's mind, but Kojima's stern gaze pulled her back to reality. It was then that she realized just what position she was in and where she was. Trying to get her tongue to work properly, she said, "Er, Shizuru... what are you doing lying on top of me in the infirmary?"

Shizuru looked down at Natsuki and blinked slowly, with a smile that Natsuki had learned to fear crossing her face. "Ara, I think the better question is: What was Natsuki doing nibbling on my neck in the infirmary?"

_Nibbling... on your... neck... _Natsuki went into panic mode as her face starting flooding with blood. _Oh Shinso, no... Was I really doing that in public? Did anyone see? I have to cover!_ "Er, well, that was... I was just..."

"Coming out of the anesthesia." Natsuki and Shizuru both looked over at Kojima – Natsuki to offer silent thanks, and Shizuru to pout at her teasing being spoiled. The nurse ignored them both, though, and continued, "You took quite a blow to the head there. I had to put you under to make sure your body had enough time to recover."

"Oh, uh, thanks then," Natsuki said. The reminder of her injury also made her aware once more that her head indeed still hurt. "But why does my head still feel like it's splitting apart?" Shizuru let out a small whimper at hearing this, and she leaned down to give Natsuki's forehead a kiss – which somehow actually helped a little – and then cradled Natsuki's head between her hands and rested her cheek on top of it. Natsuki cringed a bit in embarrassment, but she had to admit it did help. Even if it hadn't helped, she just didn't have the heart to push Shizuru away, even if the pain was her fault in the first place.

Kojima's brow furrowed at this. "Sounds like dehydration to me. The fight likely took a lot out of you, and then your nanomachines had to use up a fair amount of your body fluids to repair the damage. I had you on an IV, but perhaps it hasn't circulated through your body quite enough yet." At the mention of an IV, Natsuki glanced down at her right hand through the small opening between herself and Shizuru. There was a bandage attached to the back of it where the needle had been, but apparently the IV had been taken out already. "It should fade soon, but you'd be best to drink plenty of fluids just in case."

"I'll go get you something to drink then," Mai's voice came from Natsuki's left. Natsuki turned her head over to the source to seek out her roommate, wondering why she hadn't noticed her before. However, just turning her head gave her the answer, as her field of vision was filled Shizuru still trying to smother her. Even if it weren't for Shizuru blocking the view, her mere presence was quite distracting... _Er, what was I supposed to be doing again? Right, Mai! Mai can... Mai can tell me if I won the bet! Wait, that wasn't it... It had something to do with Shizuru's lips! No, no! Not Shizuru's lips... Shizuru's full, soft lips..._

Shizuru watched silently as Natsuki went through her mental debate, trying to think of something other than just how kissable Shizuru looked at this moment. Her expression was full of concern, and almost too sweet for Natsuki to handle. Unfortunately for Natsuki, it only got more so as Shizuru saw her getting flustered. It was only through the grace of Shinso that Shizuru acted on this moment first, and that she chose to do so by simply kissing Natsuki on the forehead. She then withdrew from her position – to Natsuki's private disappointment – in order to make room for Mai who was returning with a cup of water.

"Do you want to try sitting up, Natsuki?" Shizuru asked. She reached a hand out to hold Natsuki's and help her up. Natsuki gave a small nod at this and started to push herself up slowly. The world seemed to rush by her a bit and a wave of dizziness accompanied the headache, but she was at least able to make it up without collapsing back onto the bed, even if she did allow herself to fall forward into Shizuru's arms.

Natsuki allowed herself to remain in Shizuru's arms a fair bit longer than was strictly necessary. She didn't really need the support that long, but she sensed that Shizuru needed to give it to her. Shizuru seemed to be feeling quite guilty about how she'd ended their battle, even though Natsuki didn't really begrudge her for it. It had hurt, sure, but so had most of the fight. It was really just the difference between a slow beatdown or a quick hit. And if this way meant she got to be coddled by Shizuru until she was completely recovered, then it was worth it. _Though I would prefer if we could do this in private at least..._

A finger tapping on Natsuki's shoulder reminded her that Mai was still waiting with the water. She grudgingly parted herself from Shizuru and took the cup with a thankful nod to her roommate. Her head was already starting to feel a fair bit better, but she sipped up the water anyways. Kojima came back at this time to check on her. "How's your head feeling, Kruger-san? If it's getting better, you're probably free to leave. I can trust Tokiha-san to let me know if anything happens to you."

Natsuki's eyes flicked to Mai and then back to Shizuru. Mai was certainly showing a bit of friendly concern for her, but she was really no match for Shizuru. Natsuki knew full well who was going to be taking care of her tonight – not to mention the fact that they still had the unfinished business of their bet. She'd bring it up now, but she didn't want the nurse prying into it. Kojima had a certain reputation around Garderobe, and Natsuki didn't want to pique her interest if at all possible.

"It's getting better," Natsuki said, looking back at the nurse and handing her the empty cup. She caught sight of an empty bed next to her as she turned her head, and a question occurred to her. "Hey, what happened to Haruka-oneesama? She looked like she'd be much worse off than me. Shouldn't she still be in here recovering?"

"Ha!" Mai said. "You really don't know Haruka-oneesama. She was out for a bit, sure, but she was awake within an hour demanding to know why Shizuru could let her get knocked out like that. She didn't settle down until Yukino-san came by to check on her. They ended up going back to her room for... oh, this and that, I imagine."

"'This and that'?" Natsuki said. She didn't recognize that particular phrase, as with a lot of idioms Mai translated from Zipango. However, it did occur to her that the nurse was from Zipang as well, along with Shizuru's parents. She suddenly started to feel a bit left out on the joke.

"You know, what you were thinking of doing with Shizuru...?" Mai nudged Natsuki with her elbow and winked at her slyly.

"Mai!" Natsuki said, glaring at her roommate. She should know by now what she was getting Natsuki into with Shizuru. _Damn it, why did I have to fall into that one?_

"Ara, Mai-san," Shizuru said, with a menacing edge to her voice, just beneath a cloak of sweetness. "I think it would be best you not tease my Natsuki. It might not be good for her health at a time like this – or yours, for that matter." Natsuki looked at Shizuru in thanks. She knew she'd be paying for this later, but that would at least be in private. Seeing Shizuru defend her possessively like that did feel quite nice, at least.

"I don't appreciate threats against students under my watch, Viola-san, however veiled they might be," Kojima said. Her voice wasn't too stern though, so she likely understood that Shizuru hadn't said that in all seriousness. However, the dread of her tendencies coming to play upon hearing this still managed to fill Natsuki with fear. "Although I should say, a good dose of 'this and that' might be just the thing to ease Kruger-san's headache." At the stunned look from Mai – who apparently had managed to stay out of the rumor mill on this one until this point – the nurse shrugged and said, "I was your age once too, you know, with an Oneesama much like Viola-san in certain ways."

Natsuki was frozen to her seat, trying to blend into the scenery. She did not need her sex life – or lack thereof – being discussed with the school faculty. This was all Mai's fault for bringing it up in front of her, she decided, and she casted a glare at her roommate. Mai shivered at the look from Natsuki and backed away. "Er, I think I'll head back to our room now. You can take care of her, right Shizuru-oneesama?" Mai didn't spare the time to wait for an answer before she ran out of the infirmary. Natsuki's glare didn't usually work that well on Mai, but perhaps this time she knew she meant business with it.

Of course, however angry Natsuki was with her roommate, a simple stroke down her back from Shizuru was all it took to make her completely melt. "Shizuru..." she said, looking over at her girlfriend, who'd gone right back into caretaker mode and was looking at Natsuki with concern.

"Do you think you'll be able to walk, Natsuki?" Shizuru asked. "If you're up to it, we can go back to my room so you can rest. It's closer than yours, so it won't be as hard to make it there."

"Alright," Natsuki said. She knew that the proximity wasn't the real reason Shizuru had suggested her room. Over the year, it had become the primary place where they were safe to act naturally with each other and develop their relationship. Granted, Natsuki didn't have to hide her relationship from Mai, but some things just needed to be kept private. "So am I free to leave then?" she asked the nurse.

"I'd say so," Kojima replied. "All you need is some rest, but you're free to do that in your Oneesama's room if you wish."

At this approval, Shizuru pushed herself off of the bed and reached out a hand to Natsuki. Natsuki took it and cautiously swung her legs out over the edge of the bed. Feeling only a tinge of dizziness, she used Shizuru's hand to pull herself up to her feet. Giving a smile to let the nurse and her girlfriend know she was alright, Natsuki took a few hesitant steps towards the door. Feeling no more dizziness, Natsuki gave a nod and said, "Yeah, I think I'll be good. Thanks."

"Alright then, have a good night, Natsuki-san, Viola-san."

Natsuki made her way out, keeping ahead of Shizuru in order to demonstrate that she was fine and didn't need to be supported. She didn't want Shizuru to get any ideas about carrying her to her room. She wasn't going through that embarrassment again if there was anything she could do about it. She did allow herself to slow down, though, once she was out the door and had made her point. It was about that time that something the nurse had said struck her.

"Wait... 'good night'? How long was I out, Shizuru?" Natsuki said, looking back at her girlfriend, who was just now catching up to her.

"Almost five hours," Shizuru said. A somber tone had entered her voice, and Natsuki could see guilt start to spread across her features again. "Kojima-sama assured me you were alright, and she just wanted to keep you under anesthesia to heal better, but I still couldn't tear myself away from you. I'm so sorry for hurting you like that, Natsuki..."

Natsuki glanced around the hallways quickly to make sure no one was around before she allowed herself to be touched by Shizuru's sentiment. "It's alright," she said. "That was what you were supposed to do in the battle anyways, wasn't it? But, um, thanks for staying with me." With the warmth now entering her cheeks at the admission that she appreciated this, Natsuki was doubly glad no one was in the hallways to see them.

Unfortunately, this didn't seem to assuage Shizuru's mind, as she didn't take the chance to comment on Natsuki's blush. She remained silent for most of their walk, eventually speaking up just as the two were entering the Pearl's dormitories. "By the way, Natsuki, I'm very proud of you. Five minutes and two seconds. I really never expected you to win our bet."

Natsuki froze in her step, caught off-guard by this statement. _I won... I actually did it. I don't have to let Shizuru force me into sex..._ Shizuru turned back to look at her as Natsuki ran those words through her mind. They just didn't sound right. With how much care Shizuru had shown Natsuki over the thought of hurting her, how could she possibly have considered using her favor to force Natsuki to make love to her when she wasn't ready? Natsuki grimaced slightly. _Is that why this doesn't make me feel completely relieved then?_

Natsuki shook her head to try to rearrange those thoughts into an order that made more sense as she started walking again. As much as she tried though, she just couldn't shake the feeling that maybe things would have been better if Shizuru had won. Shizuru did this type of thing all the time, really. She laid intricate traps for Natsuki, and however much she might fight it, things always turned out great when they went as Shizuru planned.

_Even if she had wanted us to make love... I _have_ made her wait too long. Would I even want to stop it if she tried to seduce me? I mean, I do want to do that with her, I just need to find the perfect moment... And if Shizuru's good at anything, it's making moments perfect. But every time I consider it, I just keep chickening out. Maybe... would it have been better if Shizuru had won, so she could make the first move?_

"Natsuki?" Shizuru said from behind her. Natsuki stopped and turned around. "Is everything alright? You walked right past my door."

Natsuki's eyes widened. "Oh, uh, sorry. Just lost in thought," she said. She walked back to Shizuru and followed her girlfriend into her room. Shizuru sat down on her bed and motioned for Natsuki to join her, which she did gladly. She pressed herself up against Shizuru and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, trying to just relax her mind. It wasn't much use though. Her worries were still plaguing her, and she could feel a lot of tension in Shizuru as well. They needed to get this out.

Lifting her head from her girlfriend's shoulder, Natsuki turned to Shizuru. "Alright Shizuru, out with it. What's bothering you so much? This isn't like you." Shizuru sighed, but other than that she remained silent. When Natsuki had had enough, she grabbed her girlfriend's shoulders and turned her to look at her, giving her best puppy-dog eyes. "Please, Shizuru. Don't keep me out."

Shizuru tried to resist, but it was ultimately no use. Her expression slowly broke down under Natsuki's pleading gaze, revealing a fear she'd tried to bury. Seeing this, Natsuki brought her hand up to gently stroke Shizuru's cheek. This gesture caused Shizuru to finally break down completely, and tears started to well up in her eyes. She brought her own hand up to cup Natsuki's and said, "I don't want to leave you."

Natsuki spared only a second to let her mind run with this thought – Shizuru was worrying about having to leave when she graduated and what might become of their relationship – before she pushed herself forward and wrapped her arms around Shizuru in a tight hug. She didn't bother with asking what had brought this up just now; all that mattered was that Shizuru was sad, and she needed to do all she could to support her girlfriend. "It's alright, Shizuru. I know it'll be tough, but we can make it."

Shizuru slowly brought her own arms up to hold Natsuki. She buried her head into Natsuki's shoulder and allowed a few sobs to escape. It was truly rare to see Shizuru breaking down like this, even in private. The prospect of leaving must really have been hurting her. _Does she... does she care for me that much?_

"Natsuki... thank you..." Shizuru said once her sobs had calmed down. She slowly pulled back from the hug. Her hands came to rest on Natsuki's shoulders as she looked into her girlfriend's eyes. Natsuki gazed back into hers, allowing herself to be sucked into those crimson depths so she could try to understand everything that Shizuru was feeling. There was so much affectionate there; Natsuki knew beyond a doubt that she was the most important thing in the world to Shizuru. A stirring in her heart told her the same was true with what Shizuru meant to her.

_This is it... I can't waste this moment, with how little time we have left before she leaves... I may not get another chance. I have to say it._

"I'm not going to let distance get between us, Shizuru," Natsuki said, her eyes locked with Shizuru's. "I don't want this to just be a Garderobe romance. I want to stay with you. I want to be with you... in every way. I love you, Shizuru."

Natsuki was treated to what she considered to be the most beautiful sight in the world at her confession of love. Shizuru's cheeks tinged pink, in one of her most adorable blushes ever. She blinked back tears from her eyes and said, "Oh, Natsuki... I love you too. So much..."

Natsuki remained gazing at Shizuru for a few more moments, expecting her girlfriend to come in for a kiss. She was slow to act, though, and Natsuki figured she was just too stunned or too weak to move. No matter, though. Natsuki simply leaned forward herself to capture Shizuru's lips with her own.

Shizuru moved slowly, as if in a daze, and their kiss was slow, full of tender passion. Natsuki breathed in Shizuru's essence, feeling as if she could inhale the essence of Shizuru's love if only she kissed her long enough. She kept the two of them linked together like that for a long while, until finally she felt Shizuru's lips start to tremble against hers. Fearing her girlfriend might be getting too weak now – it always amazed her how she could have that much effect on the great Shizuru Viola – Natsuki pulled just an inch away, and she gazed into her love's eyes.

Shizuru was certainly in a weakened state now, Natsuki could tell, but it also looked like something was still bothering her. Or, possibly not bothering her, but something was certainly on her mind. Thinking back to what had brought this moment on, it occurred to Natsuki that it was odd for Shizuru to be worrying about what would happen when she left just now. She pulled her head back a couple more inches and asked, "What's wrong, Shizuru? Don't hide what's bothering you from me."

Shizuru closed her eyes at hearing this and breathed out a sigh. After a few seconds, she turned away from Natsuki and pushed herself off of the bed. She paced the room nervously for a bit, finally coming to a stop near her desk with her hand resting on the back of her chair, facing away from Natsuki. Natsuki waited patiently for her to speak. She wasn't sure why, but Shizuru needed some space now. _I guess I can see that if she needs to recover... she was getting pretty weak while we were kissing._

"Sometimes you're just too much, Natsuki. It's hard to control myself," Shizuru said. Natsuki remained silent, letting her girlfriend get it all out. "I was so worried. My emotions felt like they were getting away from me. I was starting to care for you so much – too much, I thought. I realized that I'd fallen in love with you, and I had no idea how to handle it. I had no idea you might be feeling the same way, and I was worried that you might start to forget about me when I left."

Shizuru brought her free hand up to her face, and Natsuki wondered if perhaps it was to wipe away tears. She had to hold herself back from going to embrace Shizuru; she was afraid it might break down whatever strength her girlfriend had built up. But she had to at least say something to try to reassure her. "It's true, though," she said. "I do love you. The feelings scare me too sometimes, but only when I'm not with you. When I am with you, everything just seems right."

Shizuru nodded, almost imperceptibly. She turned around slowly, but she still stopped when she was facing off to the side; at least it was an improvement from keeping her back to Natsuki. "I wanted to find a way that we could be together for the rest of our lives. When Adriana-sensei let it slip that Gakuencho was planning to retire next year, I started hoping that you could take her place. But I was afraid that you'd ruin your chance if you performed poorly in our battle, which seemed too likely given your attitude. That's why I came up with that plan to motivate you."

"Gakuencho!" Natsuki said, letting her mouth hang open. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of just all being the Gakuencho and Second Column implied. Even though the columns were officially equal in rank, the Second was the closest they had to a leader. Among the world community, she took a seat at the affairs among world leaders as their equal. Although she had to be prepared for combat like any other Otome, the Second Column was supposed to exemplify intelligence rather than simple brute force. Rather, the Third Column was assigned to be her right arm, bodyguard, and envoy as the situation called for it.

The prospect of the responsibility of being Gakuencho in just a year was chilling indeed, but this was mitigated by the thought of being able to work alongside Shizuru. Natsuki mulled this over in her mind, trying to weigh the options. The responsibility wasn't really so bad, even if it was daunting. She'd have Shizuru to help her through it. Shizuru was worth it, she decided.

"Don't worry, Natsuki," Shizuru said. Natsuki focused back on her girlfriend to find that Shizuru had turned to her now, a supportive smile on her face. "They wouldn't simply take an unprepared teenage girl and place her on the world stage. The transition period for the Second Column is a fair bit more gradual than for the other Columns. If you accept the position, Markova-sama will stay around for the first year to teach you the job. After that, you'll still have Miss Maria's experience to rely upon."

"I'll do it," Natsuki said, nearly cutting off Shizuru. She gazed steadily into her love's eyes. "If it means I can spend the rest of my life working alongside you, I'll take on any responsibility necessary."

Shizuru's cheeks filled with a pink tinge. "Natsuki..." She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate for a few seconds. "Thank you," she said.

Although Shizuru's voice was mostly steady, Natsuki noticed that her hand was grasping the back of her chair tightly enough that her knuckles had turned white, as if she were trying to hold herself down. "Shizuru? What's wrong?" she said. She started to get off of the bed to approach her girlfriend, but a raised hand from Shizuru made her stop. Not understanding why, but trusting her girlfriend, she sat back down.

"I'm sorry Natsuki," Shizuru said. She took a breath and let out a deep sigh. Keeping her eyes downcast, she explained, "It's hard to control myself at times like this, when I really feel my love for you. Things just go wild in my mind. I always have to fight to hold myself back, for fear that I'd push things too far for you. As much as I want 'this and that' from you, I just can't risk scaring you off. It's better I back off from time to time than risk losing control and molesting you again."

"Shizuru..."

_..."No!" I swung my hand around with all the force I could muster. It met Shizuru's cheek with a crack that resounded throughout the cafeteria and caused all eyes to focus on us. I couldn't have cared less, though. I backed off from Shizuru and brought my hand up to protect my abused breast. On the verge of tears, I managed to get out, "W-what are you doing, Oneesama?"..._

_...I shook my head fiercely at this. "No!" At Shizuru's shocked expression, I quickly explained, "I mean, I wanted to know who you really are, so if this is it, then well... I'll have to learn to live with it. Just don't get grabby again. That isn't really you anyways, I'm sure."..._

_I was right. The real Shizuru isn't a simple lech. She's a lover, and she wants to make love to me. I want it too, but I just couldn't act._ Natsuki looked up at Shizuru's face. She was fighting to keep from doing what she thought would hurt Natsuki, and it was causing her to hurt herself. _Damn it, no more. I'm not letting fear control me._

Natsuki pushed herself up and approached Shizuru. Her girlfriend recoiled a bit in surprise, but Natsuki didn't let her escape. She was going to do this for Shizuru. It was the only way to make things right. She placed her left hand on Shizuru's shoulder to keep her from backing away, and she brought her right to just under Shizuru's chin so she could hold eye contact with her love. Shizuru was trembling with nervousness, but Natsuki was determined to wipe that away.

"You're just too loving for your own good, Shizuru," she said. "You don't have to carry that burden. You should have just talked to me about this. I mean... Mai wasn't entirely wrong when she said I was considering this if I won." Shizuru's eyes widened as the first traces of nervousness started to fade from her features. Natsuki pressed her advantage now. "But I think I need to go with something a bit more specific right now. Shizuru, my favor is this: Trust in my love."

Confusion appeared in Shizuru's eyes, so Natsuki pushed forward to explain just what she meant. "Stop worrying so much that I might reject you. I promise I won't. I love you just as much as you love me, and I don't want you to have to worry that I won't want to work with you to maintain our relationship while you're away, or that I won't work to get the Second Column position to be with you.

"And finally, don't worry about me rejecting your advances. There's a big difference between making love to your girlfriend and being molested by your Oneesama, and I want the former just as much as you. I just wanted the moment to be perfect, but now I realize that it's simply being with you that makes a moment perfect. But tonight especially..." Natsuki smiled, remembering her confession of love to Shizuru. "I love you, Shizuru."

Natsuki wanted to lean forward and kiss her girlfriend to seal the deal, but Shizuru looked about ready to melt again, and she didn't want that to happen just yet. Instead, she satisfied herself with simply gazing at her love while she recovered. The blush on Shizuru's cheeks was easily enough to distract her right now. It always felt good when she could turn the tables on her tormentor. _Well, maybe "tormentor" is putting it a bit harshly... she really only teases out of love. And that's the only reason I put up with it!_

Sooner than Natsuki expected, a mischievous glint appeared in Shizuru's eye, signaling that she'd regained control of herself. "Natsuki is too sweet," she said. Most of the blush had faded from her face, but a tinge still remained in her cheeks. Her expression had settled into a more typical look for her, which was a big relief for Natsuki as it heralded the recovery of her emotional state. Not to mention, this Shizuru was a lot more fun. "But I just can't let you do that." Shizuru took Natsuki's hand with her own and brought it up to her mouth for a quick kiss.

_And Shizuru has officially switched to "teasing mode,"_ Natsuki mused. _Well, let's get it over with... _"What do you mean, Shizuru?"

"Natsuki worked very hard to earn her favor," Shizuru said. She put on a small pout and gave Natsuki her best puppy eyes. "As her girlfriend, I can't let her use it so selflessly."

"What? Shizuru, no-" Natsuki was cut off by Shizuru pressing her finger to her lips.

Shizuru continued, casually ignoring Natsuki's faux-annoyed glare. "I won't hear it. In respect for you, I will still give you what you asked for, but I must also give you what you wanted but didn't ask for. Tonight, Natsuki, I am giving myself to you, body, mind, and soul." Shizuru leaned forward, bringing her mouth to Natsuki's ear. She whispered, "Especially 'body.' Please, take me Natsuki."

Natsuki let out an involuntary shiver as Shizuru's breath in her ear sent waves of excitement through her body. She was starting to tense up, and an aching need for Shizuru was already starting to build. _Damn she's good..._ Natsuki shook her head to clear it out and backed up so she could look at Shizuru. She'd been planning to talk, but her instincts took over and she ended up pulling Shizuru's head into her own to engage her lover in a desperate kiss.

Although Shizuru seemed to be prepared for a kiss like this, the depth of Natsuki's passion did seem to catch her a bit off-guard. This didn't stop her from melting into the kiss, though, and returning the passion. By the time Shizuru was letting out light moans into their locked lips, Natsuki tore herself away. _Alright... if you're mine for tonight Shizuru, then let's get at this._

"Shizuru..." Natsuki breathed out through her panting. "Bed. Now."

**To be continued in _Oneesama Sidestories_...**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, after close to a year, Ascension is finally complete. It's too bad I couldn't do it with Centauri, but I just didn't want to leave it unfinished. I hope I did it justice on my own. For those curious about how we did the collaborative first chapter, a little explanation of how it went:

First came the story idea. The idea and story were completely mine. I wrote up a sketch of the events (which I've since diverged from, but no matter), and sent it off to Centauri to see what she thought of it. She liked it, so we got to writing. I first wrote up a rough version of the events I wanted to happen in the chapter, along with the dialog (mostly full-formed). Centauri then went through and replaced my rough narration with a more detailed narrative, in mostly her style (this is why some readers felt that the first chapter seemed a lot more like her than me). She sent it back and I went over it, tweaking and proofreading. When it was ready, she posted it.

The second chapter we'd planned to go the same way. I'd written up my rough version and sent it off to her, but that never got done for various reasons. Eventually I came back to fix it up into a publishable form myself (the procedure to get to this point isn't how I normally do things with my writing, which is why it might seem a little off). I also decided to split what was going to be one chapter into two. And that's how we get to where we are.

As for the poll results, they came out to be 54 wanted Natsuki to win, and 20 wanted Shizuru to win. Since my original plan was to have Natsuki win, this worked out well. I might have reconsidered things if enough thought Shizuru should win, but I think this works pretty well.

For those of you also reading Oneesama, yes, they'll both be continued in OS. You'll just have to wait and see what I have in mind, though I really wouldn't be surprised if some of you can guess. Until then, much love to everyone who takes the time to read and drop a review.


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